Many different types of backboards are used by paramedics and other rescue personnel to transport an injured person while trying to minimize the risk of further injury, particularly with respect to the spinal column. Perhaps the oldest and yet the most commonly used device is a simple wooden board in the shape of a person with hand and strap openings on the sides of the board and with a pair of spaced elongated supports attached to the lower side of the board. These supports raise the board so that it is easier for a person to place hands in the openings while lifting the board and the patient. The supports also add rigidity to the structure so as to minimize the risk of bending or deflection of the board that might cause trauma to the patient. Wooden boards are advantageous because they are currently the least expensive, but the boards are subjected to considerable abuse with the result that wooden boards wear and splinter on edges that can be a hazard. Also, as they become worn, wooden boards absorb bodily fluids, and hence may become unsanitary or difficult to clean.
Another backboard currently being marketed is made of plastic, the outer shell being formed by a rotational mold technique and then filled with plastic foam. Such a board may be more durable than wood and is certainly easier to clean, but there are some disadvantages. In addition to the time required for the actual molding of a single board, considerable hand labor is required in the removal of flashing arising during the molding operation. Further, extensive hand labor of this type can cause hand stress difficulties. As a result, this plastic board is considerably more expensive than wooden boards. Another major disadvantage is that the board is not as rigid as the wooden boards in that the plastic foam formed within the outer plastic shell is somewhat compressible and is not very resilient. Circular cross-sectioned fiberglass rods inserted in the board help rigidity somewhat, but they are not situated to receive the load directly from the shell. Instead, the load is transmitted through the compressed foam.
In view of the foregoing, a need exists for a backboard that is at least as rigid as wood, is more durable and cleanable than wood, but is no more expensive than wood. Storage compartments that are commonly found on fire trucks and other vehicles used by rescue personnel are designed to receive two wooden boards that are nested together to create a rather thin package. Thus, replacement boards should be adapted to have a configuration similar to that of wooden boards.